General Theater
by CryingCinderella
Summary: Title stolen from General Hospital...yadda yadda yadda
1. ForwardPreface

Disclaimer: I own none of the character except for Alana G. They are all modeled off of co-workers at Regal Theaters, Marley Station. This 'mini soap' is meant for fun only and in no way shape or fun is meant to degrade anyone. It just sort of happened one night while I was bored, watching concession one Monday with Chris. Anyway, I love everyone I work with and I love my job at Regal. 

A/N: This chapter is not really a chapter, it's just sort of the forward/preface type thing, with all the know-what's and know-how's of the story. (Can't forget the know-who's.) So do enjoy!

Rating: PG-13 (mostly for language, and the potential for affairs, relationships, and violence.)

General Theater

Being the new employee here at Regal has opened my eyes to a whole new world of things. Watch and behold as the drama unfolds here at Regal and do try to hold onto your seats, and possibly your popcorn on this wild ride as you prepare to view: "General Theater." 

Character Introduction: 

First of all, there's me, Alana. I've been on the scene for a month, actually about five weeks and try to just observe things as they happen, even though everyone treats me like I've been one of them since the beginning of time. And I act like that a lot, and in some ways, I am just like them. "Max" calls me "Dru" because he thinks I look like Dru Berrymore, that's my Australian name anyway. I'm fairly tall, always cheery, at times too cheery says Anthony, and perhaps rather annoying in Annie's eyes, a little chunky with kinda faded blue eyes and all natural blond hair that Ken thinks is super long.

Next is Egg, since he's the first person I met. He hired me after all. But only after being inspired to work here by Leslie. Tall and lanky, with piercing eyes like someone from a teen drama show. He's got good looks and he knows it, although when he wears the hefty black suite jacket, he looks exactly like the General Manager, even though he swears his hair was that style first. He's suspected to have a thing going on with Annie. He's a manager, takes care of the scheduling and is in college to become a pilot. 

Annie should be explained next, since she's been mentioned twice but you know nothing about her. Short but very thin and pretty with blonde highlights and layers in her straight brown hair. She wears small, almost horn-rimmed, glasses, and can be very snappy at times, and at other times, the most pleasant person in the world. She gets along with Egg best and is also a manager. But she has a small problem with her need for designer underwear and using her credit card to get it. She's very friendly and selective, very decisive in what she says and makes for a very good manager. 

Next comes Melissa, a manager ready to graduate from college. She only works matinee shift except when she's forced to work in the evenings. She swears it's a completely different breed of people on nightshift and dreads having to work them. She's tall and thin with a pale freckled complexion and strawberry blonde hair. She constantly leaves her keys on the door podium and talks with Ken a lot. 

After Melissa comes Carley, the last of the female managers. She's very short with raven black short hair and proportioned to her height but still could catch the gentleman's eye with ease despite being married. Her Dana and Juan are tight but she's mostly seen, not heard and very mysterious. Her hair is very soft and she loves to be tickled, off the clock. 

Now with all the female managers out of the way, we move to the guys. Ken is the most important, being general manager. He's good looking with natural tan glowing skin and spiky hair, reminds most of us of a thirty-something Ken doll. Happily married with a toddlerish son, he spends most of his time at the theater but does enjoy the occasional drink. When leaving, he always slips out the back through theater number five and has much respect for all of his employees. He doesn't let his position as manager get to his head. When someone under him is working door, and a show gets out, he'll tell them to stay on door while he goes and cleans, as do the other managers like Jackson, Anthony and Egg. Overall he's cool but totally uptight about neatness, but hey somebody's gotta do it! And beware of "the eyebrow" it's the strangest look that only he can do and wow does it leave you thinking when he does it. He's also a little leery about putting things up on the freshly "purple" wallpapered wall, he picked the color himself. 

Next in command, Egg aside is Jackson. While being just a year younger then Ken, he looks a bit older then him and is second in the chain of commands. The films and computer systems at the theater despise him, since they always seem to have a problem on his shift. He's an interesting character who get upset over things easily, but never takes it out on his employees. He's the kind of guy that when a light bulb is out, he won't tell someone to do it, he'll just go and change it himself. He takes care of all the problems even if at times they aren't his fault or his job. He moonlights, rather daylights part time at the local Home Depot. And even though he's a great guy, he always seems to have a not so happy day because of problems at work. 

There's Kermit H. He's the older concession manager. Tall and stout, he hides his weight well with his height (which is still being debated upon between Elliot, Crash, Alana and him. Assuming that Elliot is 6 foot tall, Crash is 5'11 he is 5'10.5 and Alana is 5'10) with glasses, plaid dress shirt and tie. Don't let the appearance fool you. He's no geek, accept for when it comes to Roller Coasters. He's crazy over them, but if you've got to pick something to be crazy over, he picked a good one. He works most weeknights, and the occasional weekend, and is very knowledgeable about random things. Always counting stocks at concession, he sometimes messes them up and is semi strict with the rules. Although he does pocket AirHeads just like the rest of us. He's very good about carrying on conversations while counting and is very nice, and has a very interesting sense of humor. 

Warren is the resident Santa Claus, physically and literally. Hefty fellow with rosy cheeks, a cherry nose, snowy white beard and a rather round stomach. He always wears bright red suspenders and glasses. Little is known about his managerial duties, except that he shows up on Sundays to open the theater and then disappears to the upstairs. A very friendly fellow, he changes the films and jokes around with Elliot a lot. 

Jeffrey is the mysterious Thursday man who pops in just long enough to assemble the trailers to the movies. Scruffy with his goatee, baseball cap and dark eyes, he's rather quiet and spend most of his time upstairs as well.

Another one-day manager is Bob Kelly. Rather fond of Annie, he only shows up on Sundays. He keeps a low profile and tends to be a "stick to the rule" man as well. Elliot tends to steal his nametag when he's not around since all the managers get special golden magnetic nametags. Bob has a bit of a country accent, sounding like he's from Virginia even though he says he's from South Glen Burnie. He helps people out when needed and comes up to see movies late at night not caring what time they say they started, he just wants to know exactly when the real picture starts showing.

Anthony was just recently promoted to manager and is hilarious. He's large and in charge, with a baby face and glasses, always laughing about something. He's been with the theater for three years and has a relationship with Leslie that makes everyone wonder if it's a boyfriend girlfriend or just friends deal. He's all around friendly and loves to jump out from around corners and doorways and scare people. He definitely thinks Alana is excessively cheery at times, but non-the less, is cool. He reminds some of us of Keenan Thompson from Keenan and Kel. 

Lastly for managers is Elliot. He too was just recently promoted. He looks like he's 24, but is only 18 and totally hot. Sometimes he wears glasses, sometimes he doesn't. He runs concessions and films and definitely has a dirty mind at times. He always wants the ladies to work late with him and wears nice clothes, though he hates the thought of getting butter stains on them. While in the office, he has no objections to any ladies who wish to sit on his lap while in the big boss's chair. He's really sweet, but a big time practical joker and definitely not a jock from his high school days. He has several leather jackets that he wears and loves bands that would perform at HFS.

Now meet the rest of the crew:

Feather is a high school graduate who is short with fluffy red hair and a very flattering figure. She dates Juan but is smoking her life away with over a pack a day, she says it's the menthol and that it calms her nerves, but it's really just killing her lungs. She works concession, and calls everyone sweetie and can often be found "taking out the garbage" so she can smoke a cigarette. She's very playful and loves everyone.

Juan, tall lanky and very thin is rather quiet. He's quite the goof who likes hanging around with Alex B. and Crash. He's often on shift with his girl and is always play fighting with Tim, they like to play fight while cleaning out the theaters and this often makes Annie mad. Overall he's pretty cool, and always gets a ride home with Feather. 

Tim is a quiet usher, in fantasy land perhaps. He and Juan like to fight in the back room but he's always on top of what movies get out when and when the next one starts. Or at least he pretends to be so that the managers don't notice. Mostly a slacker, he takes long breaks and is hardly dependable to show up for work, even when he's scheduled. 

Crash, aka "Max" in Australian, is one very odd fellow. But he's funny and has a gorgeous voice. He's tall and perfectly built with shock blonde hair that has a zigzag chunk part in it. He reminds you of someone from American idol and started the whole "Australian" thing. He works everything, from concession to box to usher and then some. He's nineteen and has been there for a while. Definitely a big fan of women, he's very ticklish right in the ribs and is a big time supporter of Anthony's scaring people, goofing off with the ladies, as well as all other theatrical nonsense. He's writing his own novel, a horror story because he loves Freddie Crugar and the Halloween series. He's working really hard to get back in shape since he thinks he needs it, and shaves his arms and legs. 

Alex B. is a dark skinned usher. So much so that Crash and Juan call him "Mowgli" like the kid from the jungle book, to tease him. He's rather quiet himself but likes a good laugh and has had the great misfortune of Elliot's pervertedness rubbing off on him. He dates Gwendolyn who just recently came back to the theater. He's very nice, as are everyone at the theater and likes to goof off just as much as Crash and Juan do. 

Then there's Alex L. He's a tiny little fellow who is really cool, looks like he just came off permanent time Bay Watch. He often works box but can sometimes be put into place as soda boy on concession when things get hectic. He's a big time joker but totally sweet, or so it would seem. He's always running around telling new employees that other employees want their number. As if there weren't enough drama, he just tried to create a bit more of his own. Rumor has it that he's a 'user/loser' just trying to get into the girl's shorts. But how could someone who looks so innocent be so mean. After all, it is just a rumor…right? 

Gwendolyn just recently came back to the theater but has worked here for over a year. She's a very sweet girl, medium height, medium build with a straight smile and straight brown hair. She dates Alex B. and likes almost everyone there. Always on concession she does her job, is a hard worker and is good friends with Feather. She tries to help out the new employees so they can get in the swing of things quicker. 

Dana, though quiet, cannot be forgotten. She's about the sweetest girl you could ever hope to meet. She's very quiet, but that could just be because we're all so loud. Very pale and thin, with red hair and freckles, she likes acting and theater. She often works box but can be found occasionally behind concession. She's funny and very sweet, everyone loves her. 

Kristina is also a very sweet girl. While looking for another job, she remains loyal to the theater and always works with her best effort. She's sweet, and funny and well liked. She's short with long brown hair and very pretty defined facial features. She's usually at concession, and would switch with anyone for scheduling conflicts. She's been there a long time and is all round great. 

Then there's Berry. They call him "Berry the Tooth" because of his one out of place tooth. He's an amazingly nice guy even if he will give the new workers a rise every once in a while. He's always joking around, and works Box and on occasion door. He works almost every day and is very nice, just like everyone else. 

Elaina, not to be confused with Alana, though was hired and trained in the same night, is a very pretty sophomore. She's young and a hard worker, looking for extra hours. Though she's having some personal problems with her former boyfriend, she doesn't let it get her down. She's always on concession and gets along well with people like Jan and Jezebel. Crash thinks she's totally hot and would "do her in a heartbeat" if she weren't so young. She often hangs around after work to just 'chill' with the boys and fits right in with the rest of the theater chics. She's always begging to work a weeknight, and when she finally gets it on the schedule, she can't do it.

Leslie, of course, is not to be forgotten about. She's very pretty, even if she is vertically challenged, long straight black hair and a total sweetie. She often works box and door and is very close with Anthony. She took him to her senior prom. She's also recently been hired by a knife company and may or may not be leaving the theater. Everyone, however, would be very sad to see her go. 

Carrie-Ann is a tan blonde who is at the theater even when she isn't working! She's a sweet girl who works concession and is always smiling, even at the end of a long and tiring day. She's very laid back and has the most amazing Austrailian accent when she tries it on. Very hard working she smiles all the time and is just an awesome person. 

Then there's Andy. He only works weekends and door to boot. His biggest job is selling promotional stars for charity. But he met his match when Alana came to town. Now he makes it a constant competition between the two of them. Everyone at the theater gets highly annoyed with him very quickly. D.J. decided to call him 'Skippy' because it really annoys him, so naturally everyone started calling him Skippy. Everyone severely dislikes him and are hunting for a way to fire him, but unfortunately have not found it yet.

Wreath is a returning veteran to the theater, having gone away for the school year, he's back in action. Totally sweet but doesn't like to work much. He once took well over an entire hour to go out and change the marquee sign. He's friendly and funny, and works usher and door. He comes up to the theater to hang around with Jake and Crash, and loves girl pop music.

Nelly is also a returning veteran to the theater, again medium height and medium build, with a soft tan and wispy blond hair, she's rather quiet but very friendly and watches door. 

Another new face to the scene is Jezebel H. She works door and is friendly, though young. She's mostly quiet but very funny. Once she was carrying an entire bag of pretzel bites back to the fridge and the bag had a hole and she spilt them all over the floor. She'd do anything for anyone, including ask embarrassing questions to managers, although she does get embarrassed when trying to purchase thongs from New York and Company. 

Aside from her is Jan. She works concession and gives out free refills on everything. Another total sweetie but young one. She dates Jake, but doesn't know why since she claims she doesn't love him. Her idea of a good time is doing all the things that could get you in trouble. (Isn't it all of our idea of a good time?) She also thinks that people should mind their own business and keep their personal lives at home, despite the fact that Jake calls her all the time when she's working and he's not. 

Grint is short and thin with short-cropped hair but a great smile and dedicated worker. He takes no shit from no one and works on concession at times, but mostly usher. He's on top of things, if you need popcorn, he's got at your bin before you can say "Hey Grint I need more popcorn." He's a joker just like the rest of the boys at the theater, but the blanket statement that covers that one is 'boys will be boys.'

Jake is new to the scene jokes around a lot for being only sixteen. He claims he hates the job and never takes the blame for anything, even though it is his fault at times. He developed Alana's nickname of tampon and swears he's going to die his hair "Menstrual Flush Red." He really wanted to get fired one time and made an idle threat to kiss Annie just to get her to fire him. He insists on writing up a "chore-list" when he's closing with someone on concession and refuses to do hard jobs once there. He's mostly just talk and hot air because he's harmless and wouldn't hurt a fly, if a little crazy and easily distracted. 

Other characters include, Sandy and Patrice who work box. (If any have been forgotten, it's because I haven't met them, or worked with them. Someone tell me and I'll add them.)

And then of course, there's the resident bum. "Clyne" he hangs around the theater, looking for Elliot and Kermit. Both consider him to be like a stalker, because he just hangs around looking for them trying to bum free movies off them. He's kinda scruffy looking with a long gray beard and balding head. 

The Setting: 

The Lobby: A big tiled entranceway to the theater, is the place for most customer problems, and the occasional issue with ushers or managers. It's the hub of commotion on any given weekend night. Concession: Behind the counter is where all the magic, aka chaos, happens. The floor is always slick with soda, melted ice, butter and god only knows what else so it's like an ice rink trying to move around. The hotdog machine is nasty and no one wants to touch it, while the sodas squirt and spill and the butter machine splatters and hits you in the eye. The greatest conversations take place back there. The Back Room: All the stocks for concession are kept back there, as well as mops brooms and the schedule. The best fights happen here and many just "hang" there on their break. The floor there is also always soaked from either the overflowing drain, melted ice or the mop. The Office: A locked purple door takes you into the office that only managers have keys to. Three desks, three chairs and all sorts of files and a computer. Reports are signed there, money is counted there, and surveillance cameras are there too. Stars, schedules and the like happen there as well as much goofing off. The Podium: The ticket holding box, aka the Door person's home for the evening. It sits just outside the office and holds the tickets, star money, keys to the bathroom supplies, air freshener, most lost and found items, mylars, flashlights and the movie schedules. The Film Room/Upstairs: All the bathroom and other kitchen supplies are kept upstairs as well as all the films and projectors. A great place for any lady to be alone with Elliot while "working late" or a wonderful place for Anthony to pop out and shout "Boo." Either way, it's kinda dark and just slightly mysterious. The Girls Bathroom: Not a big scenery place, just constantly a mess, constantly in need of cleaning and supply changes, and always a problem with some sort of plumbing apparatus. The Theater Hallway: A long carpeted hallway that leads to each of the eight theaters, not important for much aside from cleaning, and changing mylars. Theater #1-4 & 6-8: All average size small theaters, the place where all the usher's clean and the actual movies are viewed. Theater #5: The biggest theater in the house, the one with the most mess, the most goofing off during cleaning, the most problems when it comes to movie viewers and the one with the biggest emergency exit. The Dumpsters Via Theater #5: The hang place when Feather needs a smoke break, or when the trash needs taking out and can only be accessed through theater #5. 

Now that you've got the low-down on the who and where. Enjoy the first chapter of "General Theater." 


	2. Part I: False Alarms and Emergencies

A/N: I hope you guys have fun reading this. For my fiction fans, it's a break from the norm. For everyone at work, I hope no one is offended because it's all in good fun and I love each and every one of you very much, and I really love my job.

General Theater

Part I: False Alarms and Emergencies

It was a slow moving Sunday matinee, heading into an even slower evening. The theater was packed, due to rain, but not overly so. Jackson, Annie, Egg and Elliot were managing, Jen Elaina, Alana, Crash, Gwendolyn and Carrie-Ann were on concession, Alex L and Kristina were in box and Alex B, Tim, Juan and Feather were ushering and watching the door. It was a typical day, fully staffed at the theater. 

"And here's your large buttered popcorn sir." Said Elaina, as she handed her customer his purchase. "I can't believe how many people are here today," she said as she stepped over to Alana's register. 

"I know…and to think I was gonna go away this weekend," said Alana as she filled a small drink cup. The lines were demanding, people packing the lobbies for the afternoon shows. It seemed as if everyone was trying to watch the matinee before the prices went up to evening show. 

"Hey look here comes Annie," called Crash from a nearby register. He was getting off in just an hour, the rest of us staying 'til close. Annie came through the back room and was dragging Alex L. with her. "Here. Don't talk to him, he's being punished." She said with a playful smirk on her face. "Fill soda's Alex and I don't want to hear another word." He frowned and took two cups in his hand as Alana grabbed the next order. 

Suddenly there was a loud siren-like sound that filled the theater. "Oh my god!" cried several concessionists, looking around frantically trying to figure out just what had gone wrong. Confusion lasted for a moment as Jan filled another drink order. "What's going on?" she asked. 

"I don't know but it can't be good." Said Carrie-Anne. 

"Alana, Elaina…" Annie stood between them and pushed them toward the backroom. "I need you two to go down and tell people it's a false alarm. Something's wrong with the fire alarm, it's not an emergency, tell them not to evacuate the theaters." Both girls nodded and ran, almost slipping and falling to the floor, from out behind concession. Elliot followed them as they all ran directly to theater number five, where 'Bruce Almighty' was showing. 

"Oh no!" cried Elliot. "People are going out the emergency exit! What am I going to do?" 

"Maybe you could chase them!" suggested Elaina. 

"Wow! That's a great idea!" and he disappeared out the emergency exit of theater #5. People were rising from their seats and preparing to leave as the girls waved them back, and told them to sit down. 

Upon exiting the theater, they encountered Juan and Feather in the hallway. "What was that all about?" asked Alana. 

"I don't know," said Feather. "Why did you and Elaina go charging off concession like that?" 

"Because Annie told us to," Elaina frowned and then shrugged. "I don't know what the hell that was but people are acting crazy because of it. 

"Don't worry, it's just a false alarm anyway," added Juan, who was carrying a broom and dustpan. 

"But what's causing it?" asked Alana. 

"Um…retard, if we knew, we'd stop it," said Elliot as he appeared through the door from theater #5. Just then, Annie came trotting down the hallways. 

"Elaina, Alana, I need you both back on concession." Both girls nodded their long hair bouncing behind them as they walked back to concession, despite the fact that Alana's was pinned high up on her head in a massive bun as was usual for her. 

"What was all that ruckus with the alarm bells?" a tall woman at the concession asked Jan. "We don't really know ma'am, the fire alarm just started going off, it was only a false alarm. Fifteen minutes had passed since the alarm had gone off and things had seemed to go back to normal. 

"It's a good thing they stopped that alarm," said Carrie-Ann as she filled cheese into a nacho tray. "Them people were getting pretty mad…" Whoop! Whoop! Whoop! The alarm began to sound again. 

"Oh Jesus!" cried Elliot. "Not again!" and everyone came running off concession again, down the halls to the theaters. "We're going to have to shut down if this keeps up." He added, standing beside Alana and Elaina outside of theater #5. Like the parting of the Red Sea, people flowed forth from all the theaters, despite the fact everyone was screaming to them that it was a false alarm. 

"How do they expect us to watch a damn movie like this?" cried an angry patron as he stormed past the three employees in the hallway. "I want my damn money back."

"Sir, you can go up front to where you purchased your tickets for a refund." Elliot sighed. "And to think this is all happening while Ken's away." Alana couldn't help but laugh. 

"It seems like everytime something goes wrong it's always when Ken's away and Jackson is left in charge." Everyone laughed. As they headed back down the halls, most everyone evacuated from the theaters, and for some strange reason the lights had come on in theater #5, they saw Anthony. 

"Oh man. I just got here." He didn't look happy, coming into the middle of this crisis. A line of more then two hundred people was flooded out of the lobby and into the mall, waiting for a refund else something comparable for their interruption of their movie. 

"Great. Then I'm outta here! And if I'm not mistaken, so is Crash, so we'll see you all later." Elliot smirked, thankful to be leaving this mess and he headed back down the hallway. 

Alana and Elaina sighed. "Lovely." 

"You two go back to concession, get brooms and help clean theaters." Said Anthony and the girls nodded, getting brooms and heading back up to theater number eight to help clean. Since the movies had been evacuated suddenly, things were more a mess then usual. Big things, buckets, cups and trays, were everywhere. 

"Oh here's a jacket." Said Tim as he tossed it into the aisle with a booster seat. 

"Maybe we'll find some money that someone left," added Jake, who had shown up from out of nowhere as he began to sweep. 

"Oh twenty dollars would be nice." Alana smirked as she bent down and looked under the seats. 

"Hey now." Anthony narrowed his eyes at her, as he picked up a still full bucket of popcorn. "You know the rule about finding money. You find it, you share it." 

"Then I just won't tell anyone I found it." she laughed. 

"Yeah well I'll know, when you bolt for the door like a banshee."

"You'll never know, I'll just slip out quietly." 

"Hey down there!" cried Elliot from up in the projection room, the glass plate tilted so it was open. 

"Are we going to stay operational?" asked Alana curiously. They all crossed their fingers and hoped not, meaning they could all go home early. 

"Yup. For now." He added. "The fire department's been here and told us to turn the circuit off…" his voice trailed off as Anthony and the rest headed out of the theater. Alana remained looking up to him. 

"Hey this is like Romeo and Juliet, you're up in the balcony, say something from it." 

Elliot frowned, in disbelief that the girl actually expected him to remember something from high school, that was so long ago. "Uh yea. Something about the east and the sun. Blah. Blah. Blah." He put the glass pane back into the window and she frowned. 

"It goes, I am the east and Juliet the sun and how lucky am I to have her shine upon me…" she said as she disappeared under the box and out of the theater, but she heard him yell and turned back. 

"Something about Mercutio and Tybalt. They fought." 

Her smile perked up. "Yes! That's it! Do you suck your thumb at me good sir? For I do not suck my thumb at you sir." He shrugged his shoulders down at her and just laughed. 

"Yeah ok. Whatever." 

~*~

Less then an hour later, and order restored, all who belonged at concession where back there and fully operational towards the customers. Egg had come over from the office to cash out Crash and send him home for the night. 

"Thirty-eight, thirty-nine, forty…" he put the money back into the drawer and put the moneybag on the counter. No sooner had he done so, the fire alarm sounded loudly again. "Shit." Faster then greased lightening, he took of running down the concession, swerved over the corner at top notch and damn near wiped out on his ass. In three great strides, his feet were high in the air, long legs hurtling the counter near the backroom door and he lunged forward, key in hand to turn the alarm off, just as Jackson came walking casually over from the office and turned it off. 

Jan Alana and Elaina had cracked up laughing and burst into hysterics when Egg's face fell. He looked almost disappointed that he had hurtled faster then the speed of light and almost fell to shut the damn thing off and he was beaten to it. One might have described the look as a child having a large teddy bear handed to it and then torn from it and tossed into the fire. 

"Wow." Laughed Jan. "That was great."

"Yeah I know…" added Alana. "Highlight of my day." 

~*~

A good deal later, the crowds had died down, between rushes, Alana realized she had a problem. She asked around to Jan, Elaina and Gwendolyn for a tampon but found none, and the ladies bathroom didn't carry them. 

"Oh I know!" said Gwendolyn a bit too eager to help. "The office has them, I'll get you one. Just watch the stand." 

"Thanks Gwen, you're a life saver." And she waited for the girl to return. A young teenage boy came to her register, as did a few other customers. "Hi can I help you?" she asked the boy and he nodded, ordering a small drink and pack of sour patch kids. "Here you go…" she handed it to him, taking his money and making a transaction. 

She saw Elliot, whom she thought had left, heading in her direction as an older gentleman stepped up to her register. Waving it around like it was the American flag, Elliot came right up beside the customers and handed her the tampon. "Here's your tampon Alana!" he said with a big grin on his face. 

"Elliot!" she cried, mortified, tucking the thing quickly into her pants pocket. "You dumba-" she stopped herself and hit him on the arm as many times as she could before he walked away, not wanting to curse in front of the customers. "Urgh!" she grunted, as the soda she had been filling spilled all over the counter. 

The semi rush had died down again and Alana stood talking with Kristina and Jake as he was filling ice. "Oh and he's an idiot. Honestly I wouldn't have cared had I not had customers." 

"You should have asked me, I had some." Said Kristina. 

"I couldn't find you. Oh I could have killed him." Alana sighed, wiping up her counter, thankful that Crash had gone home before Elliot's little "tamponic" performance. He would have never let her live that one down. 

"Are you mad?" asked Jake. 

"Nope. I don't get mad…I get even." She smirked and punched the root beer soda head once for good measure. "Jake can you please move? You're blocking my way."

"Look tampon…" he called her as if it were her name. 

Alana's arm came swiftly across his back as he bent down to pick up the now empty ice buckets. "You ever call me that again and you'll get a lot more then my arm across your back. She was being whiney about it, but perhaps it was the fact that it was that time of month and he had embarrassed her in front of customers. 

"Eh, don't worry about it, it's just Elliot being Elliot," Kristina shrugged. "You still working for me next Sunday?"

"Yeah," added Alana, popping an AirHead into her mouth. "5 to 11 concession right?" and the other girl nodded. "Ugh! I've got to stay 'til close, I've been here since three!" 

"Don't we all. Don't we all." 

~*~

Jake and Kristina had taken the butter machine into the back room for cleaning at the end of the night. She stood at the sink and was washing it out when he snuck up behind her and splashed her with water. Kristina whirled around and dumped the butter bucket full of water on his head and the water war had begun. The closing concessionists, had heard screaming and giggling from inside the back room and thought nothing of it. 

"Look what she did to me!" cried Jake like a little sissy girl as he emerged from the back room, soaked from head to knees in water. Kristina followed behind him, her hair and shirt also soaked. 

"Is it raining?" asked Alana. 

"Yeah…go tell Egg it's raining…raining butter!" she put her hands on her hips and looked at Jake. They walked into the back room. "Shit! It's a flood back here!" and everyone trooped into the back room to help clean it up. The evening ended much as usual, and rather uneventful given the days events. Though Jackson was upset about the alarm, and it was going to cost the theater $600 to repair. 

Tune in next time for another episode of "General Theater"


	3. Part II: Mysteries

A/N: I hope you guys have fun reading this. For my fiction fans, it's a break from the norm. For everyone at work, I hope no one is offended because it's all in good fun and I love each and every one of you very much, and I really love my job.

General Theater

Part II: Mysteries

Monday night had befallen to the theater, and it was minimal staff, Egg and Kermit were manning the show, Alana and Gwendolyn on concession and Jezebel and Nelly at the door. Practically commotionless, Crash was leaving at eight but before that he had to splice up the night with a little box-wearing. 

"What are you doing?" asked Alana, looking him over like he was crazy. 

"I'm wearing a box!" he said, as he hoisted it up around his waist, but it wouldn't go any higher. Then it burst and they both laughed. "I'm Box-man!" he proclaimed. 

"And what exactly is the point of Box-man?" asked Kermit. "I mean what does he do?" 

"He annoys people." Alana laughed as she handed a popcorn to a customer and Crash adjusted another box around his waist. "You are so ridiculous Crash." 

"He's funny." Snapped Gwendolyn, "It would only be funny just because he's Crash." They all laughed as Crash put his candy stocks away. "Can I help the next person? After this one I'm going on break." she took the last customer before the rush would die and then left. 

Crash walked by, his box rubbing up against the backside of Alana, intentionally. "Oh, excuse me…so sorry there…" and he rubbed up against Kermit too. "Oh so sorry there…" they both rolled their eyes and watched Crash spin around like some super hero before dropping the box again.

Alana walked over to the door to the back room, standing in the way. Kermit knelt to the cabinet and began to stack cups as Crash walked over to the door. "Move ho." He said to Alana playfully. 

"You had better ask nicely." She smirked and he rolled his eyes. 

"Alana please move out of the way?" she nodded and smiled at him, letting him go into the back room and she followed as he stepped out of his box. 

"That's so nice of you to be sweet, so unusual for you," she said teasingly. 

"Shaddup ho." He laughed as he walked over near the big black dumpster. 

"You better take that back! Or I'll throw you in this dumpster!" she raised an eyebrow to him, knowing full well she couldn't lift him even if she wanted to, and quickly grabbed her arms around his waist.

"No!" he shouted, half a laugh half a cry as he began to struggle and squirm against her. 

"You're ticklish!" she exclaimed and began to tickle him as he stumbled forward trying to break free of her grasp. "Oh you're ticklish!" she squealed and tickled him harder. 

"No! No! Stop!" he was laughing and tripped, falling down into a pile of garbage bags on his back, laughing extremely hard. She stood atop him laughing as well before slipping in the garbage water and landing atop him. The laughing stopped as he gasped. 

She just looked down into his eyes. "I'm sorry. Are you ok?" she said, still smiling, but not moving. 

"I'm fine." He nodded and looked up to her. Suddenly the back door flew open and Jackson walked in.

"Hey Kermit can you-" his eyes froze on Alana as she lay atop Crash. "I don't even wanna know." He sighed and walked back toward the door. "I'm just going to walk back through that door and pretend like I didn't just see what I think I just saw because I know I don't want to know why I saw what I just saw!"

"Get up!" Crash scrambled and Alana jumped to her feet. "Jackson wait!" he hollered and they both chased after him. 

"We were just taking out the garbage!" she bit her lip realizing how bad that sounded. "Er…"

"Alana shut up! You're just making it sound worse." 

"She doesn't need to. What I saw was bad enough!" he rolled his eyes and stormed over to the office. Crash looked to Alana and she back to him, and both held about five seconds of silence before bursting out laughing. 

"What was that all about?" asked Gwendolyn as she came strolling back over from her break. 

"Nothing." They both said. 

Alana smiled and brushed past him as she walked back behind concession. He just watched her walk and then joined her. 

Meanwhile inside the office…

"Do you think anyone will know?" asked Annie in a soft squeaky voice.

"The door's locked," said Egg. 

"But Kermit has keys…and so does Jackson…" 

"Nah, Kermit's busy counting stocks and then he's got to go and start movies." 

She breathed a smile of relief, crossing and uncrossing her legs on the desk. "Wait…" the smile faded. "What about Jackson?" 

"No worries there either…" he smiled, walking to her, taking off his suite jacket and hanging it on the back of Ken's chair. "He just came in here mumbling something about Alana and Crash making out in the trash, dropped his keys and left out the back." 

"So we're…alone?" she asked, taking her keys off from around her neck. 

"Yep." 

Back out at concession…

"What were they doing back there?" asked Gwen, as Kermit stood there.

"Couldn't tell you to be honest, didn't see them. Just heard shouting, a crash and then saw Jackson storm in, and turn right back around and storm out. And you saw the rest from there." 

"You don't think they-" she shook her head. "Nah." 

"Yeah, nah is right." And they fell silent as another customer came to the line. 

Two hours later, after Crash had left, Gwen Kermit and Alana were working on register. "God!" whined Gwen, "I want to clean up and go home!" 

"Well look I'll finish up, just ask Kermit if you can leave." 

"He won't let me!" she whined, taking the butter machine in the back to pump it out and clean it. 

"Sure he will!" she hollered back. "Hey Kermit, if I clean up? Can she go early?" he nodded. "See?" 

"Great! I'm gone!" she darted to the back room, punched out and left. 

"Hey…the gate's down…can I clean my popcorn bin?" Alana asked. 

"Oh sure, I closed it ten minutes ago."

"Alright, I'm just going to run my star money over to Egg in the office and I'll be right back." He nodded and she picked up all 23 of her promotional stars as well as the money and headed toward the office.

"Hey there," said Jezebel who was standing at the door when Alana came over. "What's up?"

"Not much…just wanted to give these stars to Egg. So he can cash me out and I can shut down and go home." She rapped loudly on the office door thrice. "Is he even in there?" 

"Yeah, Jackson left well over an hour ago. He seemed really disturbed by something…" 

Alana blushed. "Er…no idea. Jeez Egg, hurry up." She knocked loudly again. "I wonder what's keeping him?" Jezebel shrugged and suddenly the door flew upon. Egg stepped out, pinning his head between the door and the wall, not allowing anyone to see into the office. His suite jacket void of his body and the top three buttons on his dress shirt undone, his shoes gone from his feet. 

"What do you want?" he asked, sounding almost nervous. 

"To give you my star money…why do you look so nervous?" Alana asked suspiciously.

"Me? I'm not nervous. Not nervous at all!" he spoke and his voice seemed to raise just slightly as he did. Alana stepped forward to hand him the money and he quickly pulled the door shut tighter behind him. 

"Uh huh." Jezebel laughed, standing behind Alana. "Then what are you hiding in the office." 

"I'm not hiding anything! Don't you have a floor to be sweeping?" 

"Right, it's not what he's hiding…" snickered Alana. "It's who…" she smirked, handing him the money and turning back to the concession. Egg grunted slightly and slammed the office door. 

"Oh my god!" laughed Jezebel. "You don't think- But she-"

"I thought Annie went home early." Both girls laughed. 

Back At Concession…

"Who was it that was in Chicago again?" asked Kermit. "Richard Gere got leading role…"

"No he didn't…" added Alana as she squirted out her popcorn bin. "It really wasn't." 

"Yes it was…I'll bet you a dollar." Just then the phone rang and Egg's voice came over the mini intercom. 

"Alana?" 

She rushed to pick up the phone. "Yes?" 

"Did you have other stars that were picked up before these?"

"Uh yeah. Annie took them from me before I went on break." 

"How many?" he asked and then Alana heard a feminine voice in the background. 

"I don't know…she counted them…did she forget to write them down?" 

"Uh…" there was a silent pause. Alana strained her ears and heard the feminine voice say 'I thought I counted eighteen…ask her if that sounds right…" Then Egg's voice hit the phone. "Does eighteen sound right?"

Alana snickered and tilted the phone up so he couldn't hear her laugh. "Um yeah. Do you have my report?" 

"Uh yeah…give me a minute to…uh…come over in a minute." And he hung up the phone. As she did, Alana burst out laughing. 

"What was that all about?" asked Kermit. 

"Oh like it isn't obvious…when I went over to give Egg my star money, he came bolting out of the office, looked a hot mess and was definitely trying to hide something…or someone." 

Kermit laughed. "I'm sure he's just trying to do that to get a rise out of you Alana." 

"Whatever you say…I'll sign my report on the way out, can I go?" he nodded to her and she walked over to the office, popped in but only saw Egg. "You're alone?" 

"Yeah. Jackson left a while ago saying something about Crash and-" he smirked. "Well just something about you and Crash." 

Alana blushed but recovered quickly. "Oh. That's alright, I'm sure Jackson didn't want to stick around for the show between you and Annie either…" she leaned over and signed her report. 

"What?" he asked in disbelief. "Annie left hours ago." 

"Oh," she shrugged. "That's right." She turned to go from the office. "Say Egg…how many stars did she tell you I had from before?"

"She said eighteen but went back and recounted, it was twenty-two." 

"Thanks." 

"Shit!" he squenched his face up as Alana laughed and left the office. 

No one noticed the door to the upstairs just slightly ajar, nor the dark figure moving about down near theater #8. 

Tune in next time to find out just what is going on between Annie and Egg, as well as Crash and Alana. Will she owe Kermit a dollar? And who's upstairs? And on the next episode, be careful, Leslie has a big surprise for everyone. Be sure to watch the next installment of "General Theater." 


	4. Part III: Dinner and Work Aside

A/N: Tonight's episode introduces four new characters. Two permanent, one a special guest star, so to speak, and an old-school returner. As well as some new scenes that are again possibly not permanent. 

Checkers is the old-school returner. He's friendly and has a bright smile. He does this little dance that makes everyone, even Ken at times, laugh. He'll definitely hang around all summer and can be caught doing usher work. He chills out with Bryant and Tyrone a lot and likes making people laugh. Though he is ticklish at the ribs and could inhale an entire tray of pretzel bites if you let him. 

There's Delilah, who's the newbie gal at the register. She's tall and lanky, glasses and straight brown hair. She'll fit in eventually, once she stops worrying that she's in everyone's way. For the most part, she's quiet but that's because she's new. 

And D. J. he's cousins with the manager Bob Kelly. Anyway, he's quiet, but again it's most likely because he's new. Thin face, brown hair and skinny body, he works at concession and will fill your sodas, popcorn, get you ice, sweep for you, you name it he'll do it. Though he is seriously disturbed in the head in thinking that cheerleading is not a sport. Son of a military officer, he's got a girlfriend, eighteen and just graduated, he's level headed and not like the other men at the theater, in the sense that he's a bit more down to earth. 

Finally, the guest star is a friend of Feather's. His name is Robbie. He's just a bit taller than Feather, with a baldhead and a really nice sports car, if the back is a bit crowded with junk. He hangs around with her at the movies a lot and drives people places. 

The new settings include the parking lot, specifically near Robbie Elliot and Feather's cars. It's a great place to just hang and chill, and hope that mall security doesn't come over and ticket you for loitering. 

As well as "the witch house" which is a haunted old crumbled down remains, in the woods near Alana's school. In the middle of the woods, there is god only knows what to spook you out. 

That being said, here is next episode of… "General Theater."

General Theater

Part III: Dinner and Work Aside

Crash sat up on the counter kicking his shoes on the cabinet below. He laughed suddenly and looked to Alana who was sitting beside him, peering over his shoulder. She donned a tee shirt and jeans while he his work uniform. "Broken heart, broken ass?" he asked a large smirk on his face. 

"Hey!" she cried, slapping him playfully across the shoulder. "It's not supposed to be funny." 

Again he laughed. "Well sorry it just is." She shrugged as he continued to read on when the door to the office opened. Anthony strolled out and did a double take in Alana's direction. 

"Alana!" he shouted. "Get your but down off my counter!" immediately as if his words had been on fire, she slid down from it, standing on the general side of the counter. 

"Geez…" she sighed. "What's gotten into him lately?"

Crash shrugged as he flipped the page over, to read the back of the poem. "Dunno. Ken I guess. And that is totally not cool beans." He handed her the paper back. "Though that poem is." She nodded her thanks and left quickly, wondering just what could have been up with Anthony. 

~*~

Feather and Crash stood filling concessions as Alana walked in. "Hey there you guys!" both waved to her, as did a third girl from behind concession. The nametag clearly said Delilah, yet Alana had never seen her before. Coming into the concession, she gazed around "Holy crap is that the line?" 

"Yeah and the showing for Nemo doesn't even start for another fifteen minutes!" laughed Crash as he handed a woman three kid's packs. 

"This is insane!" she nodded, coming through the back room and into the concession, finding the floor's to be soaked already. "Elliot, where do you want me?" 

He pointed his finger and smirked. "Register One." She groaned. Register one was so old and out-dated that it belonged in the Stone Age. It was all the way down at the far end of the concession far away from the popcorn trays, a candy bin, but most importantly, the nacho cheese. 

"Urgh…" she growled opening up her register and finding a twenty a ten and a roll of quarters. "How am I supposed to work with this? Elliot!" she shouted, waving the money. "I can't open a register with this!"

Confusion upon his face, Elliot took her money and frowned. "Well that's not right…uh…go put soda heads on your sodas and by then I'll be back with some money." She nodded and trudged off into the back room in search of soda heads. 

~*~

Melissa giggled into the receiver of the telephone. "What time are you coming in tonight?" Her eyes darted quickly from her nails to the door as keys were inserted and the lock clicked. "I've got to go!" and she slammed the phone down as Elliot walked into the office. 

"Melissa, who set up the banks in the registers this morning?" he asked waving the two bills and quarters around. 

"Uh…Jackson…" she lied quickly dangling her keys around her neck. 

"Oh…" he said, going to get money. "Who were you talking to?"

"Me?" her voice suddenly pinched and she seemed to get very nervous. "I was talking to…. uh…myself." 

"Right…the day a monkey flies out of my butt is the day that statement will be true…" Her eyes flashed teasingly as she stood up. "Don't look at me like that…"

"That can be arranged you know…" she whispered, placing both hands on his shoulders and pushing him back into an office chair. Her legs came over his as she straddled his lap. He leaned back into the chair, half-scared, half turned on. 

"Melissa you shouldn't-"

"Shh…" she put her finger to his lips. "Not a word Elliot…" she leaned forward as a loud knock on the office sounded from outside. "Damn it." she growled and climbed up off him walking to open the door. 

Berry stood there, "Uh we need a manager in box…" 

Melissa rolled her eyes. "I'm coming." And she trooped out, Elliot heading back over to the concession with Alana's money. 

~*~

"Urgh!" soda splashed everywhere as Alana filled a large coke. "Why does everything hate me today?" she cried as coke dripped down her arms and face. A quick step and she walked over to fill the cup at Crash's soda fountain. 

"What's the matter now?" 

"Those stupid soda things just squirted all over me!" 

"Well let me go take a look at them!"

Handing the drink to the customer, Crash came over and unscrewed the soda head. "Well no wonder! You've got them in upside down." Alana turned bright pink. "Sheesh how silly."

"I've never opened before I had no clue." 

"Eh. No biggie." He shrugged turning back to his register and filled here a cup of coke. "Cool beans."

"I need more kids packs!" cried Feather randomly, running past Crash as he turned back to his own line and knocked right into him. He spilt the bucket of popcorn he had been holding, all over the floor. "Sorry Crash!" she slip-slid via the buttered floor back to her register. 

"Here…" D.J. tapped Alana on the shoulder. "I can help you fill your drinks. Was it two small sprites a medium diet and a large root beer?" he asked the customer at her register and the stout little woman nodded. "See…" and he filled them rather quickly. 

"Thanks D.J." she took another order and reached for popcorn, only to find her bin empty. 

"I need more ice!" cried Jezebel as Crash slipped by her again. "This floor is soaked!" 

"Ah! Alana slipped on a wet spot and slid over to the popper. "Urgh! Could this day get any worse?"

"Why? What's happened so far?" asked Crash over the noisy commotion of angry tots wanting candy that their parents refused to buy. 

"Well, I woke up late, got called out of my bathroom in the middle of the coldest shower I've ever taken since the hot water wasn't working for whatever reason, only to hear Feather practically begging me to get my butt down to work early since there was no one there with her. So I had to cut my shower early and get dressed-"

"You've got a phone in your bathroom?" asked Feather, sliding past her to the nacho cheese machine. 

"Yes." Alana looked back to Crash. "Anyway, so as my cousin is bringing me to work, because she stayed at my house last night, Louis rings me up on my cell and tells me that he's canceling our dinner plans because 'something came up.' He and I were going to go to Rocky Run after work since Ken gave me all of those gift certificates. And then my cell phone died, and now I'm stuck here for four hours after I get off." She groaned. 

"Why's that?" asked Feather, standing around since the first rush was beginning to ebb away. 

"Because my parents are at a benefit in Columbia and won't be back until well after midnight and I have no way home. Louis was going to drop me off after dinner, so now I'm stuck here. With no ride home and no date for dinner. I guess I'll just go and sit alone!" 

"Alana sweetie, where do you live? Maybe I can take you home after work." 

"Thanks anyway Feather but I guess I'll just wait here, I'll sit in Rocky Run and look pathetic and maybe they'll give me some free food." 

"Wow, sounds like you've had a shitty day." 

"Yeah and to top that all off, on my way in, my purse broke, all of my clothes for my date fell everywhere and now I'm holding it together with a scrunchi!" 

Elliot came through the stockroom door, carrying four cases of candy and stared at them as he placed them up on the counter, wondering why they were all just standing around. "Feather…I need you to do me a favor." He said with the utmost urgence and importance in his voice. "It's crucial. Could mean life or death for this theater." Her eyes went wide as she looked over the cartons of candy. Reese's Pieces, Sour Patch Kids, Hawaiian Punch Gummies and Kit Kat Bites. The moment of truth had come, the moment when she would get to take the big leap. "I need you to drive to Snowden and get more Cookie Dough Bites." 

Her red hair shook as she nodded her head slowly, accepting the responsibility of the big task at hand. "I understand. I'll do it." She hurdled the counter, keys in hand like an action hero getting pumped up to fight the bad guy. "You can count on me!" 

"Thank god." Exclaimed Elliot as she turned to go. "And Feather?" the girl turned around to face him, a knowing sense of pride and responsibility glowing on her face as she seemed to be moving in the hazy slow motion of a hero who'd just saved the planet. "We're counting on you."

"Hey Elliot! We're going to be counting on you in a minute! We're out of large cups again!" cried Crash, having nothing with which to fill his drink order of six large sprites. The rush had suddenly picked back up and was getting worse. Nemo was definitely the worst movie of the weekend, as far as chaos goes. 

More little people began to fill the lobby as Ken put up the velvet ropes to start a queue for the show. Jackson passed through with a dustpan and broom, looking thoroughly depressed. 

"What's wrong with him?" asked Alana.

"Oh yea…" said Elliot. "It's Jackson's birthday today. So don't forget to wish him a happy birthday." 

"Aww! And no one remembered?" Alana reached into her pocket and pulled out five bucks. "Elliot, can I run and get him a birthday card? Please? We can all sign it." 

His brown eyes scanned the lobby carefully, finding it to be full of people. "Ok. After this rush you can go." 

She threw her arms around him. "Oh thank you! You're the best!" 

He squeaked away from her quickly. "Alright alright I said you could go get the man a card, no go home for the night. Sheesh." 

Rather then return to her own register, she bumped into Crash's hips on purpose. "May I help you-"

"- help you sir?" she asked cutting him off. 

"Hey!" 

She smirked at him. "You hush and fill drinks." 

"Uh…I'll have a large popcorn and a large soda, extra butter." Said the customer. They both reached for the cup at the same time, Alana's hand being just a second faster and grasping it filling it with ice. "Make it the bucket and layer the butter please." She laughed, hating how much of a mess the butter made when she had to pump it, and even though she could pump it good, it's not like she had time to stop and clean it up every time it decided to just randomly come the way it did. 

"I'll fill the drinks. You can go play with the pump." Another smirk played over her lips as she took the man's order. She continued to work his register with him and having two people at one register, made the line decrease much quicker, leaving but a few straggling mothers and tots in its wake. 

"Elliot!" she cried again. "Look, rush is gone. Can I go now?" 

Without looking up, he nodded, continuing to count the money in register three for a pull. "Yeah yea go ahead." And with that she took off, running through the mall over to Carlton cards in search of a birthday card for Jackson. 

Meanwhile…

Ken sat in the office as Juan came running up to the door. He saw him in the security camera and groaned. Everytime someone came knocking on that door there was a problem and he was getting sick of dealing with them. Standing from his chair, Ken threw down the story he had been reading, it had been left behind concession and was rather interesting however he hadn't gotten five minutes to himself without another problem occurring. He opened the door and Juan came bursting in. "Nemo and Bruce Almighty just got out together!" he cried, "And the concession lines are going out towards J.C. Penny's! 

"What?" he asked, looking startled, raising his eyebrow as only he could do, as a broom and dustpan were thrust into his hands. "Hang on, I'll get Jackson to help…" he took the broom and headed out of the office over to the closet, fighting his way through the midst of annoyed customers queued in the line for concessions. His eyes glanced up to the registers, but found only two cashiers plus Elliot, who had taken on a register of his own. "That's odd…" 

"What's odd?" asked Jackson, appearing from out of the closet, "I just turned on the lights in Nemo and Bruce. What's odd?" 

"Didn't Egg schedule five concessionists today?"

Jackson looked up to concession. "Yeah he did. But Feather's at Snowden, getting more Cookie Dough Bites." 

Ken silently put up a finger just like Arthur from thirteen ghosts as he counted the concessionists. "One." 

"And Jezebel's on break…" 

"Two…" he added another finger. 

"And there's Delilah and Crash…" 

"Three…four…" they both searched the counter as if expecting the fifth concessionist to magically appear before their eyes. "Wait…Where's Alana?" Jackson nodded but then shrugged. "Oh well I don't have time to worry about it. We've got to get down and help empty Nemo out as fast as possible before this mob turns ugly. 

"_Before_?" Jackson asked. "If that isn't ugly…I'd hate to think what is." He sighed and hollered over to the security guard, motioning for him to put up the velvet ropes for the queue line into Nemo. Trotting off after Ken, he headed to theater five, poking his head into "Matrix Re-loaded" to grab Checkers and Alex L. "Come on, we've got a kids movie to clean." 

~*~

Alana came running back over into the lobby from Carlton Cards. "Oh dear god!" she cried, fighting her way through a thicket of people. "Oh no…" she glanced over to concession and at how backed up they were. 

"Alana!" cried Elliot as she came behind concession, sitting Jackson's card up on top of the microwave. "I could kill you!" he shook her shoulders. "The rush is over my ass! Look at all those people! They didn't just appear from out of my ass!" 

She couldn't help but laugh, despite trying to check it, her words came out as a muffled stutter. "I'm sorry. They lobby was clear. I thought the rush was over!" 

Taking her shoulder and turning her head to the box office and out into the mall he pointed again. "You see that line out to Taco Bell over there?" she nodded. 

"Why's that a problem, it's Taco Bell."

"Exactly. _Our _line is trailing out to Taco Bell!" he rolled his eyes, pushing her back towards her register. "Where do people go once they come in past the box office?"

"The theaters?" she smirked and Elliot shook his head, pushing her further over, she laughing all the way. 

"Well done Alana," Crash laughed. "Spoken like a true smart-ass." 

Suddenly a stack of floating boxes came hovering towards the concession in slow motion. The happy victory music of a slow motion hero began to play. "Look!" cried Elliot, turning and pointing to the boxes. "It's Feather!" 

"Quick! Take them from her!" Elliot grabbed the boxes of Cookie Dough Bites from her as she jumped back over the counter. "Ok, now Crash, Feather and Delilah all go on break. Alana I'm leaving you here by yourself."

"What?" she gasped watching them head to the back room.

"Chill out, they're all getting off at five. You're staying 'til eight. Besides, the rush is over, you'll live." 

She sighed, rolling her eyes. "Great. I still don't know how I'm getting home. I'm just going to sit in Rocky Run for three hours-"

"Why don't you take somebody?" he asked. 

"And who am I supposed to take? The next random punk who comes up to my register?"

"Why not? You got a better idea?" 

"Well…" she sighed. "Well I don't hear you volunteering to go and take me home. 

"Why don't you ask Crash to go with you?"

"What?" she turned away from his eyes and focused on the nacho trays she was making. 

"I said why don't you ask Crash?" A fierce blush rose in her cheeks, making her look bright red, almost glowing like a sunburned tomato. 

"Oh come on!" he laughed when she gave no reply. "You act like it isn't obvious. I know that you like him." Her eyes flashed dangerously from their corners as she stared harder at the small trays, crushing the chips into them with great force. "Well?"

"Well what?" her eyes finally met his. "even if I did like him, which I'm not saying I do, cause I don't, but even if I did it wouldn't matter if I were Pamela Anderson because he's got a girlfriend and I'm not his type. No that doesn't make me jealous or whatever, just defeated before I even got a chance to fight." 

He laughed. "Well….that was a deep thought, I just wanted to know ig you were going to ask him to dinner." 

"Oh." She sighed, feeling very stupid for saying so much. A quick recovery was necessary to save her image. "At any rate, he'd only be joining us. Feather already said that her and Robbie might join us. You should come too." 

He shook his head. "Can't. Gotta go meet Jan." 

"Ohh…" she teased. "Jan…Elliot's got a new girlfriend!"

"She's not my girlfriend." 

"You want her to be." Alana smiled triumphantly, having turned the tables on him. It wasn't particularly kosher for a manager to date an employee, but it didn't bug her any, and if he were cool with that, that it was ok.

"So? And you like Crash."

"So?" she covered her mouth quickly, eyes going wide. "Shit." 

"See?" he smirked. "At any rate…" he said, coining her phrase and changing the subject, noting how embarrassed she seemed by it. "I'll call Jan and find out if she wants to like meet early and we'll all join you for dinner since it's a group thing." 

Elliot left the concession counter just as Andy came walking over. "Hey 'lana…" she hated how he shortened every word that he spoke. She couldn't understand if it was just too hard for him to complete words or if he was just flat out lazy. "Hows 'bout you 'n me go to dinner, I'll be your hot date, sinz I heard you were gonna be alone." 

Alana's eyes went wide in digust. It was very likely that she would hurl right there into the popcorn bin she had started to fill. That would be an interesting ordeal, vomit coated popcorn, and the she wondered if they would charge extra for it. "Actually Andy, I think I'm going to ask Egg if I can just stay the extra four hours on the clock. I could use the money anyway." 

"Andy!" cried Annie as she walked to the podium, getting ready to come on shift. "Get over here and watch the door!" Just as Andy left the counter, Delilah came back from her break, and over to the back room. Disappearing through the concession door, Alana smiled at her. 

"How do you like it here? It's your first day isn't it?" The girl nodded. "Wow, I really haven't been here all that long. Seven weeks, almost two months and I was just starting out, just like you." 

"Yeah…everyone seems to fit in real nice around here, you guys make me feel welcomed if nothing else. Though some of you are a little strange."

Alana laughed. "You know, come to think of it, I said the exact same thing on my first day here…especially working with Crash, you ain't seen nothing yet, not until you've pulled a weeknight shift on concession with him. 

"Oh the boxes?" she asked, having heard stories about his passion for wearing empty cardboard boxes around his waist like a hula skirt. 

"Yeah…" she smiled thinking about the singing habits and the bump~n~grind of the back room. "And to think that's a minor, one of many…" 

"Is he gay?" she asked suddenly, and rather randomly at that. 

"Crash?" Alana couldn't contain her sudden burst of laughter. "You're kidding right?" but Delilah shook her head no, looking gravely serious. "Lordy no. They don't make men straighter then Crash. One night when I was working concession with him, he gave me an hour speech about how he was against gay men and all that, assuring me that he wasn't gay, though wouldn't mind seeing two girls go at it." 

"Oh." Was all Delilah said. 

~*~

Alana had gone upstairs to fetch more paper towels for the back room. Leslie and Dana were in box and the only ones left at concession just a few minutes before eight were D. J. and Delilah, and she went into the back to fetch more ice. 

Ken came out from the office, holding the white cashier's reports. "D.J. where's Alana? Her report's ready and apparently she's got a hot date with Crash and Elliot." 

"Crash canceled." Said Alex L. coming up from behind him. "And I'm tagging along. Just me Elliot and Alana. Feather was too tired to go out and she was Crash's ride. She called a little while ago and left a message with Leslie and said they weren't coming."

"Oh…well Alana just came by the office to turn in her star money and said she spoke with Crash on the phone and he said he is coming." 

"Oh…" Alex snickered. "Well then, Alana's the lucky lady tonight." 

"I don't want to hear about any trouble…all you boys and poor innocent Alana…" 

"Ah come off it Ken, you're just jealous that you can't go." He winked and his grin grew broader as Alana appeared from the closet, wearing a tight black tank top and a pair of deep frayed blue jeans. Ken did a double take. 

"Alana are you off the clock?" 

"Just as soon as I put these paper towels in the back room." She flashed him a smile and then vanished into the backroom. "Ok. I'm good, off the clock. Where's Elliot?" 

Alex pointed to the box office door. "Talking with Leslie in box." 

Ken patted her on the shoulder. "Have fun tonight Alana, no wild and crazy parties, try to bring my boys back in once piece and don't do anything I wouldn't do…" He winked and headed back into the office. 

"Well that certainly gives you a lot of room…" snickered Alex as Elliot turned around from the box and smiled, striding over to join them, tugging at his tie. 

"Are we ready?" he asked.

"Uh no, we're still waiting on Crash…" she said looking uncertainly towards Alex, as if expecting confirmation of her statement. He nodded. "Yeah, well then just as soon as he gets here."

"Hey!" Alex pointed to Crash as he, Feather and Robbie strolled into the lobby. Alana gasped a bit, shocked, but still happy and smiled at seeing them. 

"I thought you weren't coming Feather?" 

"Well Crash here convinced us…" 

Alana smiled. "Great. Let's go then?" The six of them headed down to Rocky Run for dinner. Crash took the middle seat between Elliot and Alana, across from Alex, who was pinned next to Feather and Robbie. The food was good and the discussion was great, including such topics as: How to kill Andy, Elliot's encounter with his ex-girlfriend's cat one night after sex, as well as who preferred what position in bed. 

"Look! There's Jackson!" Alex pointed and jumped up. "Alana where's that card?" She too rose from the both and ran down the mall strip after him. 

Elliot looked at Crash. "Let's go visit Hively, she's in the hospital." 

Crash snickered. "Yeah…perhaps getting her boobs redone?" 

Feather frowned. "Something with her feet I heard." 

Again Crash laughed. "Either way, she's hot as shit." 

"I didn't know shit was hot…" added Bobby looking at the Brownie Blaster that had just been placed in front of Crash by the waitress. "Are you gonna eat that?"

"Man shut up. And yes I am, just as soon as Alana gets back to help me finish it." 

"I'm back!" she announced, arriving beside him and sitting down. "Wow. That looks good." 

"Did he like it?" asked Feather.

"Jackson? Oh yeah…"

"He was happy and emotional and completely sober, a side of him we've never seen before." Laughed Alex. "Though he was touched by Alana's cute card." 

"I guess it was kinda cute then wasn't it?" Alana smiled and took a spoonful of the dessert into her mouth. "Mmm…" she smiled. "That's good." Her eyes glanced over to Crash who was shoveling away at the ice creamy mess and decided it best to let him finish it. "Jesus Christ Elliot!" her eyes fell to him, noting that he was still eating his main course dinner. "I was gone for almost ten minutes! How can you still not be done?" 

"Elliot's a slow eater…" Feather said staring at his food. 

"Yeah, Bennie can atest to that," winked Alex. 

Elliot glared with a smile and flushed cheeks. "I can't help I like to take my time and enjoy things rather then rush through them in thirty seconds like you Alex." 

Everyone laughed as Alana tipped the waitress and stood. "Alright, now where to?" 

"Back to work?" Elliot shrugged and they all headed out the door and back to the theater. It was pathetic really when you didn't have anything better to do, other then go to work, even when you weren't on the clock. 

She sighed. "Ain't nothing better then the people who go to work when they don't have to." 

"Well that's cause hangin' out at work is fun." Chris headed up the hall to the theater. 

~*~

Egg and Ken sat alone in the office as Annie entered, holding a large bag of cash in hand. "Egg you ready to count this?" she raised a brow at him, walking over and putting one hand on his shoulder. 

"Oh absolutely." He smiled up at her but caught the gleam of the security camera. "Hey look. There's Alana and the gang, they must be back from Rocky Run…already…" he frowned, feeling a little sad that he couldn't have just left and joined them. 

"I'll take care of them." Ken said as he stood and went to the door, stepping out of the office. "Hey there," he addressed them. "How was dinner?" 

"Oh it was great!" Alana smiled as she spoke. "You really don't know what you missed. And look, all your men, and woman, all back in one piece."

"Well that's a relief." He laughed, a very dry coarse laugh that made people cringe, almost as if it were forced nervous laughter. "So now where are you off to?" he asked, his eyes scanning from her to Crash, to Elliot and then to Feather and Robbie. 

"Well we all wanna go see Wrong Turn, but pretty Miss Princess here has to be home by one, so says the orders of the prison guards she lives with." 

Alana laughed. "Oh yes, my parents. Right." And then she rolled her eyes. "Like I actually want to go home?" 

"Hey Ken, where's Egg?" asked Feather. 

"He's in the office." He just looked at her as she continued to stare questioningly at him. "With Annie." Feather's ears perked up as if to ask 'doing what?' but he beat her to it. "They're counting money." 

"Is that what they're calling it these days?" Elliot snickered. 


End file.
